10 Top Reasons to Love Lanzarote (in winter!)

Endless beaches, balmy temperatures year round and almost permanent, clear blue skies, there can’t be many places that beat Lanzarote as the ideal early winter timeshare escape? If you’re planning a trip to the Canary Island favourite, check our top ten things to see and do before you jet away:

Timanfaya National Park

This dusty, alien and bleak landscape is covered with volcanic rock and looks every bit the sci-fi setting. It was left behind after a group of more than 100 volcanoes exploded in the 1730s and has since become Lanzarote’s number one attraction.

Cesar Manrique Foundation

Lanzarote’s most famous artist, Cesar Manrique, lobbied for strict planning rules and built his own house the same set of rules. His whitewashed home is now a museum and is full of futuristic rooms tucked into volcanic caves.

Rancho Texas Park

Head to cowboy land with Lanzarote’s biggest theme park, Rancho Texas Park. Themed around the Wild West, expect plenty of activities like pony rides, canoeing and panning for gold. Kids will also love the chance to see tigers, snakes and giant tortoises in the Animal Magic zoo.

Los Jameos del Agua

This underground grotto-cum music venue is one of the most spectacular places to listen to a concert. The volcanic caverns have been transformed into a 600-seat auditorium, and there’s even a restaurant and bar too.

Mirador del Rio

This one-time fort sits perfectly atop a cliff, but has now been turned into a flashy bar and café. As well as exciting architecture, there are plenty of stunning views out to El Risco beach and the salt plains.

Castillo de San Jose & International Museum of Contemporary Art

Back in the 18th century, pirates were a real headache for Lanzarote’s locals. To protect their treasures from swashbuckling thieves, King Carlos II ordered the Castillo de San Jose to be built. Centuries later the fort had started to crumble, so Manrique stepped in for a Grand re-Design. Now, it’s an art gallery with an impressive collection of abstract works by artists like Picasso.

Jardin de Cactus

Guarded by an eight-metre-tall metal cactus, the gardens were created by Cesar Manrique and feature more than 10,000 cacti from the Canaries, America and Madagascar.

Haria

Once upon a time, Haria’s newborns were celebrated with the planting of palm trees. With so many, it’s now been dubbed ‘the village of a thousand palms’ with plenty of pretty whitewashed houses and a craft market.

Las Cuevas de los Verdes

Hundreds of years ago this place was such a nifty hideout from pirates, one of its tunnels earned the nickname ‘The Refuge’. These days, though, it’s not terrified locals that head into the network of caves and tunnels, it’s curious tourists instead. The real highlight, though, is an underground lake. Stand on its edge, look down, and the reflection of the roof will leave you feeling like you’re gazing into an abyss.

Fuerteventura

Hop across to Fuerteventura from Lanzarote and visit the island’s biggest beach resort, Corralejo, to enjoy the bars and restaurants, as well as the incredible ten mile beach of Parque Natural de las Dunas. The island is a surf spot and because of that, has its own, different vibe.